The Fiction Candle. A Christian Fiction blog that looks at books from the fiction story then the christian story perspective, finding biblical truth and celebrating it.
The Christian BY K. A. Baumann This novella length dystopian christian fiction reminds us that God is not always Safe, but he DOES give you the courage to do the hard things he asks.
The Fiction Story
The story takes place in a dystopian setting where Christianity is outlawed and Christians are forced underground if they wish to live their faith.
The main character, Alex grows up in this world, and as a result, suffers tremendous loss. She witnesses the killing of her friends and family after the authorities discover her parents secret church.
Her difficult life has only encouraged her to serve God all the more, and to share the gospel with strangers, even though it is dangerous and they might report her for doing so.
One day Alex comes across a desperate woman, named Tracy, who is ready to end her life. Alex Shares her faith and saves the woman, both physically and spiritually. But she had no way of knowing this was the daughter of the man responsible for killing her family.
Later, when Alex finds herself arrested and on a train to "The Island" a work camp for Christians, she is surprised to find the woman, her last convert, and the woman's brother onboard. They are on their way to visit their father who is in charge of the prison.
Out of gratitude, the brother and sister do what they can to spare Alex from the hardships of imprisonment. Ultimately she finds herself face to face with the man responsible for the persecution she has endured.
FICTION STORY LIKES & DISLIKES
LIKED: The story on whole maintains a strong forward focus and keeps a reader's hold.
DISLIKED: The writing itself is a little weak, showing some tell-tale signs of amateur work.
The Christian Story
Alex is faithful
First of all, the fact that Alex is willing to share her faith with strangers who might report her to authorities shows that she possess extreme boldness and love. Without this she would never have been led to Tracy, and Tracy may have perished without hearing the Gospel.
Alex chooses boldness & courage:
On the verge of being arrested Alex turns to prayer which ends up being an amazing scene.
"God, please," she whispered. She didn't know how to finish her plea. She did not want to ask for safety. God was not a safe God....
She went on to pray for boldness and courage instead, which proved to be wise. She would need both!
Alex knows where she is going:
After being arrested, Alex realizes that Tracy is putting herself at risk, simply by associating with her. To reassure Tracy that everything is going to be alright, Alex tells her...
"Tracy, go. I know where I am going."
It was a delightfully odd statement. In actuality, she was going to the prison camp. Both Alex and Tracy knew that. But it was a nice play on words, recalling Alex's faith. It also served as a meaningful idea for Tracy and her brother to ponder the meaning of.
Alex is prepared to forgive:
God put Alex face to face with the man who had taken her family from her, and her character came through. As a result of her faithfulness in such a difficult situation, God's plan was fully revealed. What a plan it was! The story implies that both Tracy and her brother were saved.
CHRISTIAN STORY LIKES & DISLIKES
LIKED: Alex navigates a difficult, dangerous, and painful life, and does so with great faith and obedience that honors God.
DISLIKED: At the start of the story, Main Character, Alex, is being "led by the spirit" to an individual. I guess it bothers me as a red flag. I'm nearly completely certain that in real life, this would simply be called following your feelings. In the end it was merely a cliche, pet-peevish, literary device to get us to the catalyst of the story.
The line, "Because there is hope if you are willing to take a chance on Jesus." Not sure I can fully articulate why this line rubs me the wrong way. I believe it's the concept of "taking a chance on Jesus," which sounds like a might-as-well, 30 day Jesus trial; get your money back if you don't absolutely love it. I want to know what you think!
Recommended
I do recommend this book. I found a few points to ruffle my christian feathers- but only some minor ruffling after all was read and done. The writing itself is a little weak and amateurish, but the story is straight, simple and strong. It keeps a reader's hold. As Christian Fiction, it does better than a lot that is out there. If you want to read The Christian, you can find it here. Let me know if you do, and what you think.
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